My instructor always complained that whenever I did the last footwalk (3) of (1,2,3)in the Natural Turn, I pulled my right foot to the left too fast. Indeed I find it is hard for me to drag my Right foot to the Left. Can somebody share some techniques with me as how can I use my body and feet to effectively control that action? Thanks.

You can also control the speed the right foot closes to the left by controlling the rise and fall. Remember that you continue to rise through 2 and do not reach the hieght of your rise until 3. The feet coming under the body should be a result of rise. Example: if you take a weighted object and tye a string to it and then lay the object on the floor. As you pull the string up the object should move to a position underneath your hand and the string. The same happens in rise and fall as you straighten your leg the free leg should come underneath your body at the same speed. I hope that helps

I want to point out the use of terms CBM and Shoulder Lead first. In this given situation, CBM is used on 1, RF fwd, to commence to turn. Of course when CBM happens, the L shoulder will move fwd toward the RF, but the term "L shoulder leading" shouldn't be used, since it must go with LF fwd, not RF.

Return to the Rise, it should be commence at the end of 1, not on 2. If you count 1&2, the rise must be felt from "&" through the body. Commencing the rise early like this will facilitate the swing of LF and making the 2nd step on T. Yes, CBM is used on 1 only, and generally on fwd and back step, not apply for side step.

The CBM you mentioned ("R shoulder leading") occurs on the 1st step of the Reverse Turn, when LF fwd and commence to turn L, but straight not sway.

Hope these will have some help.

Best regards,
MSN

Generally the foot will close too quickly due to lack of pressure to the floor. But you can't solve it by merely attempting to press the moving foot harder into the floor. Proper foot pressure is the result of having partial body weight on the foot, and this is achieved by moving the weight gradually between the feet, rather than stepping all at once from one foot to another.

To feel the effect of foot pressure as the result of body weight, try the following exercise: Stand with your feet wide apart, body weight directly in between them. Now without shifting your weight toward one side or the other, pull both feet toward each other until they close. It may at first feel impossible, but with enough muscle tension you should be able to do it. If it proves to be too difficult, try doing it on a slick surface in socks, with toes turned out.

Whether or not you are successful with the above exercise, it will nevertheless illustrate a couple of important points. First, you will see how evenly distributed body weight creates pressure, and therefore resistance, between the feet and the floor. Second, you will feel a certain group of muscles working (mainly the 'abductor' and 'adductor' muscles of the upper thighs). It is these muscles which should engage, although not to such an extreme, when moving from counts 2 to 3 in a basic Waltz turn.

This is a rather complex topic which requires time and patience to master. While you're working on it, you can fix the moving foot in a more superficial manner by deliberately extending the moving foot away from the standing foot until the last possible moment. One foot will naturally close toward the other as a direct result of the body rise, and so no help is actually necessary. At the peak of your rise, your feet will still be a few inches apart at most, and will need to be deliberately closed the rest of the way. But until that point in time, keep that moving foot stretched as far away fom the standing foot as possible. Your foot timing will improve quite a bit, which will keep you on the right track until such a time as you've mastered the concept of body weight distribution.

Regards,
Jonathan Atkinson
www.ballroomdancers.com

Firstly, I will re-describe the Natural Turn briefly:
1. RF fwd, H
2. LF side, T, sway R
3. RF close to LF, sway R

I have seen that the "fast close" occurs frequently. Many dancers think that they should try to pull/drag the RF towards LF as slow as possible. In fact, this action actually doesn't depend on your mind. If you try to control it without the understanding of why it occurs, it will be very hard, as Sylvester mentioned.

I want to point out that the result of the foot close on step 3 is caused by the leg swing on step 2. Following is my explanation:
-1. This step is taken on Heel, creates energy for the whole figure. On the end of the step you should commence to Rise and to Turn R (use CBM here); also commence to swing the L leg to side.
-2. Turn 1/4 to R, swing the L leg to side. The swing will make your body sway to R. The stronger the swing, the greater the sway. Don't try to sway greater than your energy can. And because of the sway, your RF will have pressure onto the floor.
-3. Keep the sway and the pressure on RF. Close RF to LF while turning 1/8 to R. The pressure is very important, as it help maintain the sway, and control the speed of the closing. I guess you close the RF rather fast because it has little pressure, right?

Best regards,
MSN

Thanks gentlemen for the techniques. I am aware that my RF was not exerting any pressure on the floor during the closing mainly because my LF was rising to fast. Here are some questions on CBM and Rise & Fall. From my underatanding and let me reiterate what I have learned from you all. Correct me if I am wrong.

Count 1: RF on H forward and CBM (L shoulder leading)
Count 2: LF on T make 1/4 turn (keep low)start rising slowly and body sway to R - Here I don't think I can do CBM (R shoulder leading)while swaying to R
Count 3: While LF is rising drag RF toward LF to close.
Thanks